Hitachi DS18DMR 18-Volt Ni-MH 1/2-Inch Cordless Drill/Driver Kit
by Hitachi
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Product Details
Manufacturer: HitachiModel: DS18DMR
Product features:
- 18-volt Ni-MH 1/2-inch cordless drill/driver kit; 5-position belt hook and integrated work light
- 550 inch-pounds of torque; 22-stage ratcheting slip-clutch for high torque or precision driving
- Lightweight plastic body; durable 2-piece rare-earth magnet motor; carbon brush; non-slip grip
- Includes charger, case, 2 batteries, quick-charger side handle, driver bit
- 7 pounds; 1-year warranty
- Hitachi 728119 Quick Change 20-Piece Drilling and Driving Set
- Hitachi 728092 40 Piece Screwdriving and Nutdriving Set
- Hitachi 725780 SDS 1-3/16" x 7-1/2" Max Quick Change Rotary Drilling Adapter
- Hitachi 321823 1/4-Inch Hex Drive 3/8-Inch Keyed Chuck Adapter with Key
- Hitachi 728105 1/4-Inch Hex Shank, 1/8-Inch Drill, 3/8-Inch Countersink and #10 Bit Phillips Drive Set
Description of Hitachi DS18DMR 18-Volt Ni-MH 1/2-Inch Cordless Drill/Driver Kit
18 Volt, 1/2", Cordless, Driver Drill, 2-Piece Rare Earth Magnet Motor For Greater Durability & Performance, Class Leading 550 In LBS Of Torque To Power Through The Toughest Jobs, High Capacity 3.0 AH Batteries Allow For Longer Run Time & Fewer Charges, 22 Stage Ratcheting Slip-Clutch For High Torque And/Or Precision Driving, Externally Accessible Carbon Brush For Quick & Easy Brush Changes, Convenient 5 Position Belt Hook Features & Integrated Amber LED Work Light, Includes: 2 3.0 AH Ni-MH Batteries, Side Handle, Rapid Charger, Plastic Case, No. 2 Phillips Driver Bit Double Ended, Tool Weight 5.73 LBS, 5 Year Warranty On Tool & 1 Year Warranty On Batteries. 
We know you don't buy your tools for how they look. But admit it?this is one high-tech, hot-looking drill. And we're pleased to report that it works even better than it looks. This is Torque with a capital T: 550 inch-pounds that feels like it could tackle kryptonite, more than any other drill in its class. Your hand will just meld around the non-slip Elastomer grip that wraps the handle for the ultimate in comfort and control. It's a beautifully balanced drill, its high nose design taking the strain off your wrist. Everything about this tool is quality: the ½-inch keyless chuck is all metal; the clutch ring is forged from heavy-duty aluminum, not plastic; the auxiliary side handle is ruggedly made and good in the hand. The 22-stage slip-clutch adjusts smoothly for all kinds of drilling and driving jobs. We were pleasantly surprised at how fast the battery charges?-just about half an hour. One cool little feature is the five-position belt hook with its integrated work light that does a darned good job of illuminating your work target. Something else to consider in this drill's favor is that the carbon brush is really easy to get to when it comes time to change. In all, we'd rate this among the best drill drivers on the market for torque, durability, and, OK, great looks.--Kris Jensen-Van Heste
Tools and Hardware Reviews of Hitachi DS18DMR 18-Volt Ni-MH 1/2-Inch Cordless Drill/Driver Kit
Customer Review: Two and a Half Years and STILL kickin' bootie!
Summary: 5 Stars
NOW UPDATED! Nearly two and a half years later, I'm updating with the longterm view. See original review below the update.
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UPDATE: March 25, 2007
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I notice my review is Spotlighted. Thanks, Amazon... ;-)
Almost two and a half years later, and this is still my most used and most reliable tool, seven days a week.
In short? This drill/driver has some battle scars. It's seen literally thousands of hours of use and still does everything I ask of it. It's a 5-Star tool if ever there was one.
The belt-clip I mentioned I wouldn't trust? I use it every day now. 35ft up a ladder, drill a hole, reach around and clip it on my back pocket. Drill in some screws, clip it on my pocket. It works 100% of the time.
The built-in light? Never use it. Still works even today on the original batteries.
I also bought the kit with driver/circular saw/reciprocating saw/light shortly after - so ended-up with four batteries. The second drill was almost immediately stolen, so I only have the one.
Two of the four batteries are still pretty good. The other two died about three months ago at almost the same time. Rather than paying the exorbitant amount new batteries cost, I just picked-up similar NiMH cells and rebuilt them myself for less than 1/3 the cost. I just changed the brushes today which led to my posting this.
The clutch-ring is still tight. It never did loosen up. And the batteries are still tight and sometimes difficult to get off.
The clutch is a must use. It will twist the heads off of any screw I've driven if it binds, including good quality #4 and #6 wood screws. It will twist your head off too, if it binds and your head is in the way. As I found out. Ouch. When that battery swings around at 500in-lbs it packs a pretty serious wallop.
One story that stands out was a header we needed to drill through in a building locally dating back to the Gold Rush. A 7/8" hole through about 30" of hand-hewn hardwood that had aged for a dozen and more decades. I used my [new] corded Bosch and a new 7/8 x 3ft Greenlee auger. I drilled on it for almost an hour, teeny movement at a time. It was binding regularly and I had to let the drill continually cooldown. It had gone just about 10" when the Bosch burned-up. It was 4am and I needed that hole drilled before 7am. No chance of getting another drill in that time, I decided to sacrifice my Hitachi. It immediately bound-up, and I had to switch to the low-range of the clutch. It drilled and drilled and drilled, and 45mins later, I had to change out the battery. Let it cool for five minutes, and then resumed. Long story not as long: It took another hour and a half, and three battery charges, but it drilled through that header where a corded Bosch wouldn't. The total apparent damage to the drill? The clutch makes some odd noises now and then and once every couple months it started popping out of high range and into low range (or sometimes in between). Oh - and a wee bit of the rubber on the top near the clutch tore when it finally spun out of my hand and hit the stud right before it broke through...
I've dropped it a few times onto concrete. I don't think I've dropped it more than 15ft. One battery case cracked. A little epoxy fixed that right up.
The real steel chuck still locks-up snug, although a few times it's dropped a bit when I had to reverse the bit to get it out.
I've drilled 2-1/2" SpeedBor augers through 8x's. I've driven many many thousands of screws into you-name-it. Even self-tappers into IBeam, and, in a pinch, 3/8" holes into reinforced concrete (with masonry bits. Normally I use the Hilti hammer for that.) I've cut-out MDF and Ply using 4", 5", even 8" hole saws. I've cut headers in super-tight places using 90deg adapters and teeny short 1" augers and spades. I've stirred concrete mix. :-)
This drill has never failed to perform any task, no matter how "unreasonable".
Even with the warts, scars, and dings - I give it Five Stars. I'd buy it again in a heart-beat. I'd recommend it to people I know and like. ;) Still the best cordless drill I've ever owned or seen.
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NOTE: I notice now that the drill advertised in the text is a Ni-Cad drill! The picture is the NiMH drill. You want either the NiMH or the LiIon, not this particular package.
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--- Jodie
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Original Review: November, 2004
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Stylish and Functional? Not exactly what one might expect for a cordless driver/drill.
Hitachi managed to pull it off with this beast.
(For the impatient types:
Summary:
If you're contemplating an 18v rather than a 24v, 36v or 48v cordless, and still want big-mam-a-ja-ma performance - go buy this one. There's nothing here to disappoint you and everything to make your job easier.)
I bought this drill after my DeWalt went missing on the day of a huge camera install job in a massive production facility.
I pulled it out of the case (I bought the kit with two batteries, the drop charger, and the nice case), dropped a battery on the charger and came back 20mins later to see (one is lead to believe) a full charge.
Batteries don't charge out-of-the-box fully. You really need to condition them, but being Ni-MH memory isn't as much of a concern, so I put the second battery on the charger and went to work.
I used it off-and-on for eleven straight hours, often fourty feet in the air in a forklift cage, or twenty feet up a ladder.
Never once drilling into metal studs, wood railings, or even I-Beams did this drill falter. It still feels a day later like the original battery has a full charge.
Did I mention this thing is a BEAST? Don't let "pretty" or "cute" fool you. I'm fairly tall for a woman and do jobs like this frequently. Hefting this monster will get to you. But if you need torque (550 inch-pound current best-in-class)and long run-times, it can't be beaten by anything I've touched.
This drill crushes my DeWalt like a bug. Ryobi, Milwaukee, Makita? This thing will torque them into the day after tomorrow...
The Good and the Bad:
Thirty minute charge time for a 3Ah battery. I think DeWalt (my previous favorite) was really the standards-setter for fast battery charges, but, hey - you can tap sheet steel and drill 2" holes in hardwood and still charge a flat battery before you manage to flatten the one on the drill.
Belt hook: Integrated belt hook. Plastic, but seems pretty tough. Personally - I wouldn't trust it. But that might just be me. I use a canvas universal drill holster on a wide mesh belt. If you don't want to be pulling up your jeans constantly, I imagine you'll do the same. The hook has eight positions (as memory serves) and can be removed and moved to either side with a screwdriver.
Integrated LED light: Cute feature. Seemed silly until I was working in a dark corner without room to get my work-light into the space. It's built into the belt hook If you angle it up about 60deg. it actually lights up what you're drilling pretty darned well. It's the first time I've seen that and I like it.
The downside here is that it doesn't run from the drill battery but rather a AAAA battery in the hook itself (or so I read). Good for probably 30hrs. I don't know if I'd depend upon it without changing it out before every job - but in a pinch it's nice that it's there. It has an auto shutoff after 15mins.
The Chuck: Forget those plastic tightening rings. This baby is _all metal_ and probably weighs more than an entire 18v Black and Decker _kit_, battery and all, by itself. It's one serious chunk of metal. It's fast on and off, but you can release it slowly enough that I didn't drop any bits with constant changing from drill bit to driver and back. 1/2", so it will hold some serious tools.
Two speed shift: Really useful, fairly well positioned. You can get it with your thumb one handed if you're dexterous. ;-)
22+ position clutch: Really tight on a new drill. I imagine it will loosen up some. There is a definite difference in the break points even from 1-3 and 4-6. It kinda sums up this drill: Functional. ** See note for listed break-points.
Side handle: Removable, and pretty sturdy. Sturdy enough for anything this drill would probably handle. I tend not to use them anyway.
Bit holder: I'm going to put this in the "negative" column. It's located right above the battery - not a bad place - but it's poorly implemented. Very "consumer" in that you can't put extensions or even drill bits in it. It's made to hold regular driver bits. HoHumm. Ryobi has a magnetic plate there so you can hold screws. Pretty cool. The space over the bit holder is flat on the Hitachi, so I put magnetic tape across it to duplicate the feature.
Weight: You know I have to put it in the negative column, but I feel bad about doing it. It's a real tool with a real battery and with real features. It's going to be heavy. But it's.. heavy. The specs say "5.5lbs" but I'd want to put it on a scale and see if that's with or without the battery. I have a hard time believing it. After eleven hours, I wouldn't debate it weighing 5500 lbs...
Maintenance: I haven't had to do it yet, obviously, but the brushes are externally accessible. I think that's pretty standard, but put it back into the plus column.
Appearance: Look - I like it, ok? I wouldn't buy a drill based on how it looks, but it's all cute and space-age-ie and such. It puts a smile on my face. I give it the proverbial "thumbs-up". Some might disagree and argue that it doesn't look serious enough. Fine. Imagine how much more impressive it will be when it actually IS "serious enough". ;-)
Overall: if I haven't already left this impression, you can see why it gets 5 stars from me. There's really nothing wrong with it. And the list of "right with it" goes on for pages and pages, just like me.
** Spec'd break-points on the clutch:
Position: Torque:
1 18"-lb
4 27"-lb
7 37"-lb
10 47"-lb
16 67"-lb
22 87"-lb
Drill Highspeed: 124"-lb
Drill Lowspeed: 510"-lb (so where do they get 550 in-lb from? :-) )
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